Gifts From the Sky
by StephenWasHere
Summary: Isaac is a 15 year old boy living in a small industrial farm town. He aspires to become a state Alchemist but runs into lots of problems along the way including some military personnel and even some of our old friends from FMA!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Departure and The Deed

"Isaac...I'm sorry but I have to leave. I wish I could stay and watch you grow up and become the man I've always wanted to see you become but alas, it seems that the time that God has given me has run out," his mother said while her voice was growing weaker after every word. "Mom! Don't say that! The doctor said you have a chance.. even if it is extremely small," the boy said with some reassurance. "Oh Isaac, I had more time to give you everything I wanted to give you... but I suppose there is no escaping what will inevitably happen. Go up to your father's room. He left all of his weapons and alchemical notes up in his trunk. It's been left virtually untouched so they should be in top condition. And Isaac, please promise me one thing before I leave." Her breathing became labored and she struggled to whisper her last thoughts. "I want you to...to...to become a State Alchemist so that one day, you'll be able to help everyone like you so long to do." With those parting words, Isaac Carter's mother, Grace Carter closed her eyes for the final time. "Damn it all! Why did this happen to her?" Isaac's face remained in shock for two bell tolls as he still failed to understand why something like this could happen. "AHHHH," he screamed at the top of his lungs hoping someone would here his cries for help. "Aunt Julia, did you hear that? It sounded like Isaac screamed!" Saying this was a girl of fifteen who though average in stature, had intelligence and maturity surpassing her own late parents. "Kara, we mustn't be rash and do this without thinking," the older woman said sternly. "But... Aunt Julia! Isaac could've had something serious happen to him!" Julia's face grew less solemn and she let out a little sigh. "Fine.. I suppose we can check on him in a few weeks. My goodness I hope that that boy hasn't gotten himself into a situation he can't handle." Kara simply glared at her aunt as if she had lost all common sense.

(About a week later) (Isaac's basement)

"Mother... please come back.. don't leave me alone!" This sentence kept coming out of Isaac's distraught mouth. Even though midway into his teenage years, Isaac couldn't help but sob maniacally. "Fine.. I'll just have to take all of Dad's alchemy texts that he left me and see if that'll help me in anyway." After spending the week reading all of his father's notes and looking at what ingredients to use, he felt ready to try his dastardly experiment. He drew the transmutation circle to the exact specifications he deemed necessary. After readying all of his ingredients and placing them into the center of the circle, he then clasped his hands together and then on the circle. At first, the circle looked as though it merely was staying there as if nothing had happened. Suddenly however, the transmutation circle started glowing an eerie orange shade and the chemical reaction backfired. Was it the blood or any of the other ingredients he used? Was it an error in his calculations? No, none of these things could have been possible because he made absolutely positive of the measurements and ingredients countless time beforehand.

Suddenly, Isaac started being drawn to the circle not by his own willpower, but by the sheer force of the reaction. He grew desperate searching as fast as his eyes knew how to find something to grab but it was no use. His could no longer feel his legs realizing that the sheer strength had severed them. Though he knew that this was no time to complain about the pain of that. Desperately clawing at the ground, Isaac suddenly felt the reaction slow and stop. He opened his eyes to see that he was alone in his dark basement with the only source of light being the fierce fire that had been created.

Was it over? Was his life going to end here due to some stupid action? No. No matter what happened, even if he lost his arms and legs, he would be determined to survive by any means necessary. He somehow was able to find strength within him to climb the stairs with his arms and then reached the front door. All he could do now was yell and hope that someone heard him. He waited for what seemed like an endless eternity in hell, but finally the next morning, Kara and Julia realized that they needed to see how Isaac was doing since he hadn't telephoned in a while. They opened the door slowly and were utterly dumbfounded by what they saw.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Discovery and Decision

The door swung open as fast as a door knew how. Kara and Julia rushed into the house making sure that the coast was clear. Looking down at her feet, Kara could see the horror staring into her eyes.

"Kara... Julia... I saw it," Isaac said with eyes wide opened.

"What did you see," Kara asked anxiously.

"I saw.. I saw," Isaac trailed off. He had lost so much blood from the alchemical reaction he was barely conscious.

"Kara come on! We have to get him to our house and fix him up while stopping the blood loss," Julia said calmly but with a hint of worry.

"Ok, then let's do it," Kara said determinedly.

A few moments later, Isaac was laying on their kitchen table still unconscious. "Aunt Julia," Kara asked with some apprehension.

"What is it child," she answered.

"You don't think.. that Isaac will die from the surgery we're about to give him... do you?" There was a moment of pause from the older woman.

"Kara my dear niece, this surgery is the safest one I can offer Isaac since he's lost both of his legs. I'm looking at probably a 95% chance of survival, but that's only if we do this all in one wave." Kara looked down for a moment.

"Well, it's not a 100% chance, but I'll take it nonetheless." With that being said, the two women got to work. After three days and three nights, the antiseptic finally wore off and Isaac regained consciousness.

"Wha... where am I?" Isaac got up off of the table and stepped onto the floor of the kitchen. "Looks like I'm at Julia and Kara's place." Isaac looked around and saw the two women sitting on the couch.

"Um... Granny Julia.. Kara?" Kara turned around abruptly to see Isaac's tall, thin body standing right in front of her.

"OH ISAAC YOU'RE ALIVE! OH MY GOSH I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE BACK THERE BUT YOU DIDN'T AND YOU CAME THROUGH! I AM SO HAPPY!!!!" Kara ran as fast as she could to him and wrapped her arms around him in a long-awaited embrace.

"Um.. Kara. Not to be y'know rude or anything, but you're kind of crushing me."

"Oh haha sorry about that," Kara said embarrassedly while retreating. After about an hour of conversing, the doorbell suddenly rang. It was ten o'clock in the evening.

"Oh goodness who could it be calling at this hour?" The door opened to a man in military uniform and a glove with some weird symbol on it.

"Who are you," Julia asked defensively.

"Ma'am please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Colonel Roy Mustang and this woman over here is my trusted assistant Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. How do you do," Mustang said boisterously.

"Roy, I can speak for myself thank you very much," Hawkeye said with a glare.

"Yes well, sorry for calling at such a late hour, but I heard a rumor of some child prodigy of swordsmanship and alchemy." Mustang looked around the room with haste and suddenly found the boy he was looking for. "You! Isaac Carter!"

"Ahh me? What's going on Kara and Granny Julia?"

"Beats me," both Kara and Julia said with a shrug.

"Isaac was it? Sit down." Isaac looked at the Colonel with a puzzled look on his face but did as he was told. He wondered what business any military official would have coming to his small town let alone a notorious, high-ranking Colonel.

"So, I see your legs there," Mustang pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Oh crap he knows?," Isaac thought to himself.

"Don't worry about it, I know all about situations like yours because I actually have to young boys who were in the same situation as you not too long ago," Mustang said happily.

"Colonel... Mustang was it? Might I offer you a drink," Julia asked earnestly.

"Ms.. Julia was it? Certainly.. any beer will do," the Colonel said delightedly.

"So apparently, he's a drinker," Isaac thought to himself. "Though I probably could've deduced that from the moment he walked in here and the way he responded to my prosthetic legs."

"So Colonel Mustang. What brings you to this town so far out from Central," Julia asked.

"Well ma'am, the reason I'm here is because I'd like to ask Isaac to join the military," Roy said getting to the heart of the matter. "So Isaac, would you be interested in joining the state military?"

As that thought floated around Isaac's head, he reflected back to the dying promise his mother wanted him to fulfill.

"Well, have you decided?"

"I have and I think that it would be best if I did join the military. I want to help this country become a better place and I want to see if anything 'interesting' happens in Central City."

"But Isaac you're only fifteen years old! You do know that in the military they merely expect to be sent out like some machine and then kill without any remorse."

"No Aunt Julia. That's where you're wrong. They don't justify murder. All of that is done by Fuhrer Bradley and his mindless puppets who do his bidding." Isaac reassured himself of this remembering his father and what drove him to his supposed death. His mother told him that during the war in Ishval, the Fuhrer ordered his father's unit to go into battle willingly knowing that they'd be sacrificed. "Aunt Julia, I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do. For me, my mother, my father, for you and Kara, and for my country."

"Well seems like we all know where we stand on this issue," Mustang said smugly

"Isaac, in order to prove you want to become a State Alchemist, we'll need to register you as soon as possible. When would be the soonest time you could get out to Central City," Lieutenant Hawkeye asked.

"He can't for at least a week! He has to get used to his new prosthetics," Kara yelled defiantly.

"No Kara! Listen to me! I need to go. Don't you see that I have to do this for you and Granny! I'll do whatever it takes," Isaac said strongly. "Lt. Hawkeye and Cl. Mustang, I intend to ship out to Central City tomorrow morning on the first train possible."

"All right Carter. Don't disappoint me and who knows.. when you register, you may just run into those two brothers."

With those words, Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye departed the residence to head back to Central City. As dawn approached, Isaac went back to the house where it all started and collected all of his materials that he would need. He brought his sword, his father's alchemy texts, and a few gallons of water he would use to try to perfect his ice alchemy. Right before he was about to leave for the station, he saw Kara at the door weeping.

"Hey.. Kara? Are you all right?"

"Why do you care? All you want to do is go out and get hurt without even telling me goodbye? Is it because I'm not good enough to know what you have to say?"

Isaac was stunned by this accusation. "Listen Kara," he said crouching down to her. "I never intended to have all of this happen so fast but it all just did.. because I acted on some stupid whim."

As he apologized, Kara regained her strength. "That's ok. I understand because I know it's what has to be done. With that in mind, there's something I'd like to ask of you. Take me with you on your journey! I want to help you."

Isaac pondered this for a moment but finally came up with an answer. "All right I suppose I can let you tag along. After all, it'll be fun for us going on an adventure.. but wait. How are we going to get the money for the train tickets?"

"It's fine, I have a fair amount of money from taking some summer jobs a while back so we'll be good until we get to Central."

"So it's settled, We're off to Central City!"

To be Continued in Chapter 3!!


End file.
